Reef Pro El Salvador: Peterson Crisanto Wins

Monday, 15 July 2013

Peterson Crisanto was on fire from day one. Photo: ASP/Shadley

Peterson Crisanto, the 21-year-old Brazilian, has won the Reef Pro El Salvador Six Star over Josh Kerr, earning his first major victory at the world-class righthand pointbreak of Punta Roca. Crisanto, who was a standout throughout the entirety of the Reef Pro El Salvador, returned to form on the final day of competition, dismantling the flawless walls of Punta Roca with incredible poise and variety on his forehand. Crisanto would maintain his rhythm on the Final day, besting ASP WCT veteran Fred Patacchia in the Semi Finals and would go on to command the wave-starved Final against Kerr, earning an 8.60 and 7.83 for the win.

“This is my first ASP 6-Star event win,” Crisanto said. “I’ve been training really hard and before this event I went to Mexico and trained on the right points there. I’m so stoked to get my first win. I’m shaking right now, I can’t believe I won!”

Kerrzy mentioned earlier in the event that he felt like he'd been stumbling through heats. Stumbling into a final ain't easy to do. Photo: ASP/Shadley

Josh Kerr, the top seed at the Reef Pro El Salvador and current ASP World No. 9, was one to watch in each round, commanding several heats on his way to the Final. Kerr topped ASP World Junior Champion Caio Ibelli and Wade Carmichael on his way to the Final, but was unable to surpass Crisanto’s rampage, finishing runner-up.

“It’s a long way to the final and it’s tough to lose, but it was definitely a good event,” Kerr said. “It’s such a sick wave and it’s too bad the waves didn’t show up for the final. It slowed down so much and it was kind of pumping just before the final. It was a sick event.”

Wade Carmichael, winner of last week’s ASP 4-Star Surf Open Acapulco, continued his tear through Latin America with another big result at the Reef Pro El Salvador. The Australian nearly earned a second consecutive final appearance, but fell short in a close heat against Josh Kerr to finish equal third overall.

“My Central American trip went so well and I’m happy with it,” Carmichael said. “This wave is incredible, it’s just perfect and I had a great time.”

The result will still play a huge part in both Mitch Crews' and Wade Carmichael' WCT qualifying campaign. Photo: ASP/Shadley

“I gave Peterson priority at the start and I probably shouldn’t have,” Patacchia said. “I didn’t think he was going to be that picky with his waves and he was pretty smart about his wave selection and it caught me off guard. I think I gave him a little too much breathing room and he took it and ran with him. Good on him. He surfed a great heat.”

Patacchia, who was absent throughout the opening ASP WCT season due to an ankle injury, is building momentum throughout the back half of the year and hopes his result at the Reef Pro El Salvador is a sign of things to come.